Communicating with your dog is a holistic thing: more than words, dogs take note of gestures and tones of voice. Calmly and clearly given commands work the best!
SIT
Hold a treat close to your puppy's nose and move your hand up so that their bottom lowers. As they sit, say "sit" and reward with a treat.
COME
Practice inside where there's the least amount of distractions. While your puppy is on a leash, say "come" and pull them gently towards you. When they come, reward with affection and a treat. Move on to practice without leash in a closed area. Then finally move outside and add distractions in stages.
DOWN
Take a smelly treat to your puppy's nose and move your hand down. Then move your hand along the ground. Once the dog gets down, say "down" and reward with a treat.
STAY
First ask the puppy to sit, gesture "stay" by opening your hand towards them and say "stay". Take a few steps back at a time and reward every effort to stay still, this is not an easy task for any dog let alone an active puppy.
LEAVE IT
The idea is to teach the pup that they get something better if they leave something else alone.
- With a treat in both hands, show them the other and say "leave it". When they stop smelling and poking the hand, give them a treat from other hand.
- Then move on to keeping your hands a little open to practice discipline.
- Then try placing the treats on the floor and blocking them with your hands or feet if they try to snag one.
- This is the hardest command to teach and to learn, so take the steps slowly, only practice a maximum five minutes at a time and keep training cheerful.
You are doing great, remember to take breaks! Practicing consistently for a short period is the most effective way to train!
